ArticleBMJ (Clinical research ed.)2003
NHS waiting lists and evidence of national or local failure: analysis of health service data.
Article in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2003. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed.
- Regulatory compliance of mental healthcare professionals: determinants of reporting waiting time data.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Demand-capacity modelling and COVID-19 disease: identifying themes for future NHS planning.Anaesthesia · 2020Article
- Space, place and (waiting) time: reflections on health policy and politics.Health economics, policy, and law · 2018Article
- Article
- Equity, waiting times, and NHS reforms: retrospective study.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2009Article
- Ultrasound waiting lists: rational queue or extended capacity?Health care management science · 2008Article
- Waiting for hip revision surgery: the impact on patient disability.Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgie · 2008Article
- Waiting for elective general surgery: impact on health related quality of life and psychosocial consequences.BMC public health · 2007Article
- The wait for total hip replacement in patients with osteoarthritis.Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgie · 2007Article
- Waiting times for cataract surgery in ten European countries: an analysis using data from the SHARE survey.The British journal of ophthalmology · 2007Article
- Determinants of unacceptable waiting times for specialized services in Canada.Healthcare policy = Politiques de sante · 2007Article
- Does the North Staffordshire slot system control demand of orthopaedic referrals from primary care?: A population-based survey in general practice.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2005Article
- Mapping choice in the NHS: cross sectional study of routinely collected data.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2005Article
- Neuro-intervention costs.Interventional neuroradiology : journal of peritherapeutic neuroradiology, surgical procedures and related neurosciences · 2003Article
- Increase in resources should lead to reduced waiting times.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2003Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo investigate the national distribution of prolonged waiting for elective day case and inpatient surgery, and to examine associations of prolonged waiting with markers of NHS capacity, activity in the independent sector, and need.
settingNHS hospital trusts in England. POPULATION: People waiting for elective treatment in the specialties of general surgery; ear, nose and throat surgery; ophthalmic surgery; and trauma and orthopaedic surgery.
main outcome measureNumbers of people waiting six months or longer (prolonged waiting). Characteristics of trusts with large numbers waiting six months or longer were examined by using logistic regression.
resultsThe distribution of numbers of people waiting for day case or elective surgery in all the specialties examined was highly positively skewed. Between 52% and 83% of patients waiting longer than six months in the specialties studied were found in one quarter of trusts, which in turn contributed 23-45% of the national throughput specific to the specialty. In general, there was little evidence to show that capacity (measured by numbers of operating theatres, dedicated day case theatres, available beds, and bed occupancy rate) or independent sector activity were associated with prolonged waiting, although exceptions were noted for individual specialties. There was consistent evidence showing an increase in prolonged waiting, with increased numbers of anaesthetists across all specialties and with increased bed occupancy rates for ear, nose and throat surgery. Markers of greater need for health care, such as deprivation score and rate of limiting long term illness, were inversely associated with prolonged waiting.
conclusionIn most instances, substantial numbers of patients waiting unacceptably long periods for elective surgery were limited to a small number of hospitals. Little and inconsistent support was found for associations of prolonged waiting with markers of capacity, independent sector activity, or need in the surgical specialties examined.
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